Scans pick up object orientation

February 25/March 3, 2004

It only seems easy to recognize a familiar
face -- or any other object, for that matter -- from any angle. Pattern
recognition is difficult for computers, but has many potential uses in
areas like manufacturing and security.

Researchers from the University of Valencia in Spain have improved
the process with a method of mapping three-dimensional objects in a way
that records every possible point of view of the object. Because the method
produces a map that contains the information of the object from every
point of view it allows objects to be recognized from a wider range of
views.

The method could be used to inspect the orientation and shapes
of manufactured goods, and also for face recognition, according to the
researchers.

The researchers' method calls for scanning objects from every
angle using a range finder that maps the peaks and valleys of the object's
surfaces. A later scan from one angle can be compared to this mapped to
determine the orientation of the object regardless of the object's orientation
or scale, according to the researchers.

Similar methods have been able to detect object orientation from
a limited number of angles, according to the researchers. The key to detecting
object orientation from every angle was mathematically converting the
three-dimensional scan map to a series of points on a sphere.

The method could be used practically in two to five years, according
to the researchers. The work appeared in the December 15, 2003 issue of
Optics Express.